Sissela Nutley receives KI's Culture Prize 2024

“I was very happy and see it as an encouragement to continue to use culture to spread important scientific messages and help people with their well-being. It is also the driving force behind the work that Anni Grosse, Elias Nyberg and Ulrika Larsson do in the non-profit association Arts & Hearts. I accept the award as a representative of an interdisciplinary teamwork,” says Sissela Nutley, artist and researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience.

You are a researcher, screenwriter and composer – how do these skills inspire each other? 

“As a researcher, I have the privilege of being at the forefront of curiosity and trying to understand and describe the state of knowledge on various issues. The issues that I have ended up closest to, that is, digital media and young people's mental well-being, are highly topical social issues. It is important for me to try to spread that knowledge to the public.”

“It has been very successful to create recognition through cultural elements. In the initiative "Det syns inte" (It is not visible), we have mapped students' health and digital habits. By weaving drama scenes with scientific explanations, we work to motivate young people to want to change certain behaviors or habits.”

What does young people's mental well-being look like in a digital era? 

“The script for the musical "Det syns inte" was written by Ulrika Larsson and I based on anonymous chats from the organization Tjejzonen. The experience of great pressure from the digital world and several other places, together with a perceived loneliness, was a common thread in the posts.”

“More than half of young people spend more time than they want to spend on their mobile phones, partly as an escape from difficult feelings. The adult world needs to support young people more than we might have thought and set up the environments around children and young people that promote health. For example, with mobile-free school days and charging the mobile phone outside the bedroom.”

“Guardians should not have to end up in the position where our children say 'everyone else gets'. Therefore, we have spent a lot of work on developing film material, templates and conversation support on these issues. The material supports our joint work for better health in children and young people, for example when it comes to sleep.”

What are you working on now? 

“When the pandemic came, we changed the method from musical to drama film and scientific explanations. It became a fairly extensive school program that is used today by almost 8,000 educators in secondary and high school where you as a student are reflected in the characters, can do exercises to "help" the characters and, if you want, apply the methods to yourself. It is used in classrooms as general prevention.”

“We have just recorded new film material with a little more targeted support for those who have special challenges, such as cognitive disabilities. It is intended for young people, guardians and school staff. There are also three ongoing studies at different universities that evaluate the effects of working with the school program "Det syns inte".”

How will you celebrate KI's Culture Prize? 

“I'm celebrating by doing a feature from the musical with my colleagues at KI Culture Day. It will be fun! This weekend, I plan to celebrate with my supportive family and later with my wonderful colleagues over a good dinner,” concludes Sissela Nutley.